Storm Clouds
by Exkalibur
Summary: LeonxCloud. Shounen ai. OOC,AU. They consider themselves good friends, close as family, but will they ever realize that their feelings doesn't exactly fit into that category?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. They are solely Square Enix possessions and er… and Disney in regards to KH. Too bad they don't like to share huh? … But beggars can't be choosers; so therefore, we can be satisfied with just burrowing them, without intent of making any profit out of this of course.

This is my first fan-fiction. And I decided to give it a go with Kingdom Hearts. What had always inspired me to do so was the plain possibility of many of the guys being paired with other guys!! Ok, by that statement, I also state that this fiction is total Shounen Ai, Yaoi.

If you don't like such thing, then here is where the Back button becomes useful. Go ahead, click away. And I couldn't find a Beta, but I try not to make too many mistakes, but if you see one hiding around, you could just let me know.

And please, enjoy… this is what this website is all about… unleashing your imagination. So er… This site is close to be a free country! You can do whatever you wish…er… write whatever you wish.

I wrote overlong, my apologies… on with the story. Er… before that, one more thing. I would like to thank many writers for their inspiration, Xanthos Samurai, Hanae da Firefly and Sorceress Fantasia… along many others. Their writings are magnificent.

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Storm Clouds

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Chapter 1

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Squall Leonheart, or Leon as he preferred to be called, didn't really understand the difference between an angry woman and a wild beast at that exact moment. The brunet did nothing but stared at the pacing woman, while she swung her fists in every direction at an invisible foe, yelling at the top of her lungs and black long hair swinging the other way.

Because of the unexpected act of rage, he had forgotten what had gotten her in such a state in the first place, though he remembered having to step aside when she began screaming, and keeping a lookout for her flinging fists. They were down by the entrance of the Castle, and he turned his gaze from the ebony haired woman to look around him. The members of the committee were all present.

Aerith stared wide eyed at the wild female, apparently not sure if she wanted to try and close the distance to comfort her friend, or give her time until she calmed down. Cid had his arms crossed in front of him, a cigarette hanging from his lips, the sneer he had on his face was not exactly readable, since Leon was not sure if the blond was angry along with Tifa, or he was angry at her from keeping him away from the new shipment of Gummi Blocks.

Yuffie's mind wasn't involved in the situation at all, what gave it away was the fact that she kept looking behind her, then at her watch. As far as Leon knew, the thief, and in other instances, the ninja, didn't want to miss the opening of the Ice Cream parlor, since Scrooge McDuck mentioned that he came up with a new flavor.

The short wizard, Merlin, had his eyes closed, but there was no doubt in Leon's mind that he was listening closely to every word that came out of Tifa's mouth. Leon also understood that the wizard was a very busy old man, and so, he didn't blame him for trying to keep his composure intact instead of blowing up himself.

Cloud was sitting down on the concrete floor, crossed legged and looking at the cracks, Leon supposed. The blond didn't seem interested at all at what was taking place, just as he himself.

Leon sighed as he felt the comings of a headache; he pinched the bridge of his nose and growled low in his throat.

"…and the worst part is, is that none of you seem to be concern about it!" Tifa yelled, clearly angry at that fact.

Oh yes, Leon remembered now. Bringing his hand down from his face, Leon carefully approached Tifa while managing to dodge a hand, and none too tenderly, gripped her shoulder and spun her around.

Tifa, surprised at the handling and more so coming from Leon, stopped her words abruptly, and stared.

"Tifa," he began.

The occupants of the current space straightened up a little more, glad at the interference.

"You're angry, and in effect, you're on the verge of angering us all," he said. "You have your job to do, just as we all do. We have a limited amount of manpower, and so, as much as we wish to, things can only go so fast. The north wall will mostly collapse soon; I would like it to collapse alone, than have it fall on our heads."

"But…" Tifa started, wanting to get her point across.

"And because of the danger it poses us," Leon interrupted. "It is the reason why I will leave it alone. It matters not if that section is the one you want as your own."

Yuffie, wanting to end it quicker and make a run for it, nodded her head and gave them the thumps up. "Yeah Tifa, there are many other rooms in the Castle you can use, so why the big deal?"

"I want the north section because I say so!" Tifa shouted. "It is part of the Castle, why would you all just let it come to its own destruction?"

Leon sighed again, and looked at everyone present. "I already expressed my concerns about it Tifa, the end. Now everyone, get back to your stations. We have wasted most of the morning already."

"Aye Captain!" Yuffie said cheerfully, glad that it was all over.

With her last words, Yuffie ran toward the market place. Taking that as a cue, everyone began to move. Merlin made his way out of the entrance to return home with Aerith, Cid walked inside the Castle, mumbling about senseless conversations. Tifa stood there, but after a moment of inner battle, she nodded briskly and walked into the Castle. Leon saw her go before he shouldered his gunblade, getting ready to scan the area for any hidden threats.

Cloud walked up to Leon, his lips turning into a small smile.

"She certainly made her thoughts clear," he said. Leon grunted in reply as they faced each other. He wasn't happy that Tifa decided to be so verbal about it, but he hoped that he was clear enough on what it meant for them to work in the north section of the Castle.

"She looked convinced?" Leon asked, hoping against hope that he managed to convince the stubborn young woman.

Cloud took a moment to think of an answer, they were all aware how hard headed Tifa could be once she's made up her mind.

"You tried your best." Cloud murmured, feeling sympathy for Leon.

Leon raised his eyebrows and turned away, sighing dejectedly. The answer Cloud provided was expected, it was very hard to convince Tifa of anything. But there were things more important to do at the moment.

"Whatever."

They both walked side by side, alert and ready for anything that might come at them.

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The brick house was shared by the six younglings, as Merlin would put it. It was very comfortable and cozy, but at the same time, a bit too crowded for Leon's taste. The first floor consisted of the living room, a bathroom and the kitchen, while the second floor contained the three bedrooms and the extra bathroom, and finally, the little attic.

Cid had gotten a room of his own, being the oldest of them all. He was lucky to have his own privacy whenever he wished. Aerith and Tifa shared a room, as Yuffie decided to make her little space in the attic, a big relief that it was for the older women, since Yuffie was too disorganized. Leon and Cloud shared a room. They have been doing so for so many years in different places, they had grown accustomed to it.

If Leon was to be honest about it, he would admit to having missed his younger friend when he was away after having joined the darkness. They had been best of buddies since their elementary years, and having him gone for so long, only made Leon come to recently appreciate the presence of the younger man.

After buying the necessary items that he would need to finish a small project that he kept hidden under the bed, Leon made his way out of the market place toward home, where he was sure a tasty dinner awaited him.

The street lamps illuminated the way, creating shadows where the light failed to shine through. The weight of his gunblade on his side was a comforting feeling, and tucking his newly acquired items inside his jacket, he began taking extra, faster steps toward his destination.

It had been a long day, and the thought of spending the remaining of that day with those he considered his family, motivated him into breaking into a jog. He would stop a few feet before entering the house to compose himself and pretend he wasn't almost running to get home of course, since it wouldn't do his image any good if the others found out about his strong feelings toward them.

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The first thing Leon noticed as he opened the door was the lack of lighting. Usually at the present hour, the house would have been full of activity. Cid would usually be watching the reruns of the day's Blitzball game; Yuffie would be siding with the other team and would cheer them throughout the two hour competition just to annoy Cid. Tifa and Aerith would have been taking care of supper, while keeping an exciting conversation going. And Cloud, as it was his habit of doing so, would be sitting on the window sill by the window, looking at the outside world, sulking.

But that night, everything was dark and silent, and he couldn't help the shift of attitude within him. He was quickly on alert, not trusting what existed within the darkness. Leon readied his gunblade, while walking sideways and reaching out a hand for the light switch. Once clicked, no light came from the bulbs. Taking a deep breath, he thought of calling out for his companions, but he didn't want to alert anyone that didn't supposed to be there to his presence.

But concern for the others won over.

"Aerith, Cid?" he called, and anxiously waited for some sort of answer. There was a small shuffle close by, and he instantly tensed and waited for any signs of approach.

"Leon?" came a voice from the dark. The voice was soft and tired, but he recognized it anyway.

"Cloud, what's going on? Why is it dark?" Leon asked, wanting to know as much as possible of their current situation.

Another shuffle, and soon he could hear soft footsteps getting closer to him, until he felt a hand on his arm. All the tenseness flew his body, and he sighed with relief.

"Cid is out fixing the problem," Cloud began explaining, voice soft and weary. "There was a blackout, but apparently only minor, since it didn't include the neighbors."

Leon breathed in and he ran a hand through his dark hair. He didn't notice anything strange on his way home, and he certainly didn't noticed Cid outside.

"And the girls?" Leon inquired.

"In their rooms, they have a battery operated television. Seems that there was a girly movie they wanted to see," Cloud replied, amusement coating his words.

At this, Leon snorted. Girls were weird like that, he guessed. Cloud's hand was still on his arm, and he took it into his own to lead Cloud out of the house, if Cid was outside with a problem, Leon wanted to provide help.

"Let's see how Cid is coming along then," advised Leon, sheathing his gunblade, but as he pulled on Cloud's hand, he felt a tug of resistance.

"Why?" came the haughty question.

"Because he might finish faster if he has some help, why else?" Leon replied, all knowing like.

He pulled with more force, but Cloud didn't seem to budge.

"I'd just rather stay here, Leon."

"Nonsense… come on Cloud, since when are you so lazy? Taking your time with this darkness to sulk more?"

There was a snort from Cloud, and this time when Leon pulled, the other didn't fight it and slowly followed Leon to the exit, since only the light from outside that streamed through the window was their only lamp.

"I don't sulk," Cloud stated moments later.

"Whatever."

Walking outside they made their way to the side of the house, where they found Cid smoking a cigarette while switching a couple of wires here and there in the circuit breaker.

"Cid," Leon called.

The unexpected company startled the older male, and he turned around to look at the direction of the new comers.

"What the hell Leon, can't you warn a man before giving him a heart attack?!" he yelled, not liking being caught off guard.

The pilot turned back around to continue with his job, mumbling low. But his hands suddenly stopped their work as he looked back at Leon, then behind him to the other young man.

"I thought you were sleepin'," he said.

Cloud shrugged without giving a reply, but Leon looked back at him with a questioning gaze. Cid chuckled in remembrance, shaking his head.

"That was a bad hit you took to your head, Aerith will be furious with you if she sees you out here." He commented.

Leon's intense gazed was fixed on Cloud, unconsciously taking a step closer to the blond, worry behind the angry eyes.

"What happened?" he asked.

Cloud was stopped from taking a step back by Leon's hand grabbing his arm.

"You're hurt?"

"No…" Cloud lied, not liking the worry he sensed from the brunet.

"Fell off the ladder, and was knocked senseless," At his own words, Cid started laughing while thinking back of the day's happenings. Cloud unconsciously raised a hand to the back of his head, where brunet's hand followed.

"Leon, please…" he began.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" The anger behind Leon's words were softened by the attention he was giving to Cloud, and the blond did his best not to blush, thanking the night time for its cover.

Leon felt the bump in the back of his friend's head, sighing irritably.

"You should've been more careful Cloud," he said angrily. "How many times are you to injure yourself?"

"It was nothing Leon, just a fall," Cloud tried to soothe the brunet.

"Either way, you should be more careful. Things…" His words were interrupted by a loud crash followed by loud yells and a shriek that came from the left, on the road to the market. Cid stood quickly and along with the two youngest ones, stared into the night.

"We should check it out…You didn't find anything suspicious while making your rounds did you Leon?" he asked.

"I didn't, but it wouldn't hurt to check," Leon responded, suspiciously.

Cloud was the first to move, but he was suddenly brought to a stop by a strong grip on his arm. He looked back to find Leon looking at him with an annoying face.

"You should wait inside, Cid and I can take a look," Leon told him.

"That is out of the question Leon."

Cid went ahead first, grabbing his Venus Gospel spear he had leaning on the wall of the house, Cloud made to follow again, but Leon's grip tightened.

"Get back inside now, that's an order," The glare that Leon gave him at that moment made him hesitate to follow Cid. Leon let go of his arm, while hurrying after the old man.

Cloud stared, not knowing if he should go against Leon's orders or do as he said. He took a step to follow his teammates, until the realization that he didn't carry his sword with him registered in his brain. He decided to heed Leon's command, only because he didn't carry a weapon, nothing else. He stopped his thoughts about easily running back inside the house for it, and then being able to catch up with them.

He turned to walk back into the house when he heard loud footsteps coming from within, probably the girls rushing down after hearing the noise from outside, he thought. He would keep himself alert though, just in case he heard any signs of the guys needing help.

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To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. They are solely Square Enix possessions and er… and Disney in regards to KH. Too bad they don't like to share huh? … But beggars can't be choosers; so therefore, we can be satisfied with just burrowing them, without intent of making any profit out of this of course.

This is **Shounen-Ai**, **Yaoi**… **Boy Love**… er… **Slash**… **M/M**…

If you don't like such thing, then here is where the Back button becomes useful. Go ahead, click away. And I couldn't find a Beta, but I try not to make too many mistakes, but if you see one hiding around, you could just let me know.

Thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter! I have to admit that it made me really happy. And a thank you to garnetwind, who I couldn't get back to, just know that your review was much appreciated! HUGS!

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Storm Clouds

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Chapter 2

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Leon helped the old woman get up from the ground, her grocery bags were spilled around her, and Cid took care of collecting them all. The grey haired elder straightened out her long skirt and fixed her glasses, while looking around her with a small scowl on her face.

"Those witted rascals will be the death of me," she complained. Cid and Leon were both glad that it was merely an accident between a grandmother and her few grandchildren… and their dog. From a distance, they could hear their laughter as they ran for cover. Cid approached them with his hands full of vegetables.

"Well gramps, looks like they need a lesson in manners," he said. The elderly woman looked hard at Cid, offended by the nickname.

"You watch your mouth lad," she half shouted, "I'm not your grandmother first of all, and you're not too far off from my age. Secondly, mind your own children. Let's see how your grandkids will treat you once you have them."

Cid merely raised an eyebrow. He doubted he would ever have biological grandchildren of his own one day, and he was quite positive that the difference in age between the two of them was very large. Leon smirked, offering his arm to the old lady.

"We would accompany you to your place ma'am, and drop off your groceries if you would allow us," he told her amicably.

Cid snorted, not knowing why Leon was so understanding with just about everyone who managed to get on his good side.

"The ever utilitarian leader…. Bah!" he grumbled, half amused.

Leon chose to ignore the comment, preferring to listen to the lady talk about her adventures when she was younger. He definitely didn't buy the part of her being a super woman as she claimed to have been. But for the sake of respect, he nodded and murmured a 'wow', just to make her feel better.

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Cloud sat between Aerith and Tifa in the brown sofa, while Yuffie sat on the recliner, tapping her fingers on the arms of the comfortable chair. Still in darkness, the presence of one another made it less frightening. There was something about having companions in the dark, it was an assurance that nothing will come out of it and drag none of them under. The sound of Cloud's friends' breathing was comforting, but he sensed the anxiety in them all as they waited for their two friends to make it back home.

"It had to happen while the movie was at its best," Yuffie whined, breaking the silence and sighing heavily. "Once we head back upstairs, the movie might be over, thanks to whoever or whatever managed to interrupt the peaceful mood."

The others didn't respond to her chattering, their attention on the outside world.

"What's taking them so long?" she asked.

When no one gave her an answer, she repeated herself until Aerith saw fit to answer in order to make her be quiet.

"They must've found something Yuffie," Aerith told her, trying to reassure the young girl.

But it wasn't enough, for Yuffie was already worried. "If they did, wouldn't they have called for us? I mean, we're here to help, aren't we?"

Tifa grumbled something under her breath, not liking the questions being thrown at them.

"Yuffie, if they haven't called for help, that means they have everything under control," she said angrily. "Why don't you head upstairs and finish the movie, what do you say?"

Yuffie seemed to think it over for a bit. But she suddenly straightened out and gasped.

"But what if they are wounded, and that's why they can't send words to us?!" she cried.

That did it for Cloud. He was suddenly out of the sofa, walking blindly to where he was sure his sword was leaning against the wall. Aerith sensed the worry from Cloud, though she knew it was unnecessary, for she was positive that her friends were well.

"Relax Cloud, the others are fine… come back and sit with us," The soft and sweet voice was meant to comfort him. But the nagging feeling of seeing it for himself that they were fine was too strong.

"In a moment Aerith, I will be back in a moment," He said, half to himself.

"Cloud…" Aerith pleaded, but stopped when they heard the door open and close shut.

Tifa sighed in annoyance. "Way to go Yuffie… can't you think things over before you speak for once?"

Yuffie giggled nervously, feeling dreadful that her comments managed to put worry into her elders.

"Oops."

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Leon took a bite out of the red apple that was given to him by the nice old lady, while Cid walked beside him, angry that he didn't receive anything in return.

"If you wouldn't have made that comment about her kittens, maybe she would have liked you Cid," Leon chastised.

"Damn animals, they look like beasts! Did you take a look at their size? What is she feeding them, Mega Potions?!" yelled Cid, the memory of the experience still fresh on his mind.

The thought made Leon wonder. It was true that they were quite big, and their eyes had a strange gleam in them that made the hair at the back of his neck stand on end, but maybe the odd feeling he got from them was because they were all black.

"But was telling her that her house smelled like cats really necessary Cid?" asked Leon.

"Hell Leon, how can she even stand the smell of it?" Cid asked. Smelling his shirt just in case there was some sort of an after smell caused why the reek of the old lady's house. Leon smiled inwardly, in a way agreeing with the older man.

After finishing with his apple a while later, and ignoring the rules of the no littering, Leon threw the remaining of the fruit in a corner of the street, where Cid made sure to reprimand him for his messiness.

"Whatever," Leon replied.

He was aware that as the leader, he was to set examples… good examples, but he couldn't bring himself to care at that moment. He was hungry and tired, and simply wanted to get home.

Both man suddenly stopped as they saw Cloud walking towards them, sword in hand, looking relieved and a bit annoyed. But more annoyed was Leon when Cloud stood before them. The brunet crossed his arms in front of his chest and glowered at the blond, waiting for an explanation.

"The girls were worried," stated Cloud. Leon sighed, and Cid puffed out his chest, with a cheeky smile on his face, somehow glad that there were people in the world that worried about him. Leon then walked passed them both, to continue on his way, only stopping seconds later to look back at Cloud, who was still standing next to Cid.

"Let this be the last time you go against my orders Strife," he said brusquely.

Cloud pouted cutely, before turning away from the heated gaze that was aimed at him from one angry brunet.

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There were cheers from the girls as Cid provided lighting after fixing the circuit break. He went inside quickly to enjoy the attention, since it wasn't everyday that he received cheers of that kind, though Shera, the next door neighbor did her best to provide another kind of cheer.

Once he had enough of that, he kicked everyone out of the living room so he could watch the remanding minutes of the Blitzball game. Yuffie sat down on the sofa to watch the game as well, as Aerith and Tifa began to prepare a late meal. With nothing else to do but wait till supper, Leon went to take a shower, but not before dragging Cloud by the elbow to their bedroom, and forcing him to lie down. Cloud fought half way there, but gave in as Leon grabbed him by the ear like a little child.

The others just smiled in amusement, though the girls shared a knowing look, which they then thought to add giggles just for the dramatics.

After the shower, Leon changed in front of the mirror into a white sleeveless shirt, and grey sweat pants. Then, untangling his hair with his fingers while pushing them back, he walked out of the bathroom and down the narrow hallway and then stepped into his room.

Careful not to make too much noise just in case Cloud was asleep, he tiptoed toward his bed and sat down on it to put on some clean socks. He looked behind him to take a look at his friend who was laid on his stomach, and was startled to find the intense glowing blue orbs staring back at him, albeit half lidded. Leon gave him a small smile before turning his body to the other side of the bed, to face the blond.

"I thought you were asleep," said Leon, softly.

Cloud chuckled, running a hand over his eyes in an attempt to stop sleep from taking over his senses. "I can't sleep."

Leon doubted that, and the look he gave Cloud was enough to convince the blond that the other didn't believe him.

"You would be able to if you would stop fighting it… but I'm curious, just how did you manage to fall from a ladder?" Leon asked.

Cloud groaned, not liking the direction the conversation had taken. It was downright embarrassing to even think about what happened.

"Do you really need to know?" inquired Cloud, clearly not wanting to talk about the accident.

"It would satisfy my curiosity, Cloud," Leon answered, with a hint of amusement.

Sighing, the blond slowly got to a seated position, crossing his legs and staring at Leon with sleepy eyes. "Too much curiosity will kill you one day," he said.

"I'm willing to take my chances."

A minute of silence followed, then knowing how futile it was to avoid talking to Leon, Cloud began talking about the day's event… with the least words possible.

"I was in charge of painting the upper layer of the library when suddenly the ladder decided to betray me," The snort from Leon was ignored. "So yeah… that pretty much sums it up," Cloud finished in a rush.

"The ladder betrayed you and made you fall? That's a first… if you were at the Beast's castle, seeing as Sora had told us about the weird happenings over there; maybe I would have believed you, but…"

"Ok!" Cloud interrupted a bit too loud. "I was showing off with my abilities with the brush, but missed the upper step of the ladder, my foot slipped and I tumbled down after I tried to regain my balance…" he said, with a blush quickly forming on his cheeks.

The brunet bit down on his lower lip to keep a smile from forming.

"So I fell," Cloud sighed. "And it was more humiliating than painful; since Yuffie made sure I didn't forget about it," he chuckled nervously, shyly looking up at Leon.

Unconsciously, the blond raised his hand to the back of his head, feeling the bump there, he was glad that there was no breaking of the skin. Looking at an enemy's blood was different than looking at his own blood, he thought. It always got him a bit queasy. His musings were interrupted when he noticed Leon standing from his bed, and walking quickly to his side, and sat down beside him, eyeing him anxiously.

"Does it still hurt?" asked Leon, who looked as if he wanted to take the pain from Cloud and bear it himself.

"Feels a bit numb now, but I think I'll stay away from ladders for a while," Cloud joked. The pain was not as bad as before, but there was an odd numbness that he was glad for.

"Maybe you should just stop showing off," Leon stated, and he ruffled Cloud's spiky hair to show that he wasn't serious.

"Shut up."

"Turn around, let me see how it looks," The brunet commanded.

Cloud looked annoyed and was ready to move away from Leon, but the brunet quickly stopped him by moving behind Cloud and pushing his head downward for a better look. The pressure from Leon's hand on his injury made the blond grimace in pain.

"That's a big one there. I think I see Mount Nibel here," said Leon, softly chuckling to himself as he imagined the pout that Cloud must've been sporting after that statement.

The amusement in Leon's voice was obvious, which made Cloud pout and wonder if Leon was happy that it had happened to him.

"It would be gone in a few days I'm sure," Leon diagnosed, unconsciously gently running his hand through the blond spikes.

"Aerith said that," Cloud whispered, his eyes closing on their own accord by the feel of his hair being run through with soft caresses.

After a minute of silence, Leon moved and sat again next to the blond, not moving his hand from where it rested on the back of Cloud's head. Unconsciously, the blond leaned sideways against Leon, with his blond head on the brunet's shoulder, and sighed with content.

Leon smiled, enjoying Cloud's closeness. He would stay just as he was, only because of the possibility of Cloud falling asleep comfortably. With his free hand, he took one of Cloud's hands and held it tight, and the squeeze he received in return was enough to widen his smile.

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The next morning, breakfast was a lively affair. Cid's pancakes were the best, and it showed as they all consumed many, while Cid gleamed at their appreciation of them.

"…And so, Merlin lost his temper, and doing one of his little tricks, and waving his wand, made those ducklings regret ever calling him 'old fart'!" Yuffie said, she then started laughing, recalling the earlier day's event, before stuffing her mouth with a large piece of pancake.

"Those bags of plumes would never learn to respect their elders," Grumbled Cid. "What is it with children these days? They're not getting enough beatings, is what I think," he said.

Aerith smiled thinly. Cid had always been like a father to them all, and never had he laid a hand on them before. Cid could say all he wanted, but they all knew that he couldn't bring himself to do such deeds.

"You should've done that with Yuffie, look how she came out to be," Tifa offered, receiving a glare from Yuffie in return.

"Maybe I should've done that to all of you scamps. Now that I think about it, it might have helped a lot," assumed Cid.

Leon pretended to not be amused, but deep inside he was laughing at the sour look Cid had on his face. Maybe Cid was thinking about the 'what ifs' that he couldn't help now, the brunet thought. Taking a sip out of his glass of milk, Leon wiped at his lips to clean the milk mustache that he could never stop from getting. His eyes then landed on Cloud, who had a wistful smile on his face as he slowly chewed his breakfast, while looking at Cid with barely concealed affection.

"Merlin said he was beaten when he was younger," Yuffie managed to say in between mouthfuls.

They all stopped eating to stare at her, the young girl was nodding her head while stuffing more pancake into her mouth. Aerith laughed softly.

"It's hard to imagine a wizard being young…" Aerith said thoughtfully.

Cid looked appalled. "Where you think they'd come from then Aerith, trees?" he half yelled, not being able to control his emotions.

Leon snorted, and covered his mouth to stop anything from flying back out.

"Spare us the details Cid, if you would," Leon commented after swallowing.

"I'll spare nothing!" cried Cid. "Let me tell you all bunch of ninnies a fact…"

There were groans from all the others, knowing that Cid was on the verge of getting into a five mile, one way conversation.

"Everything that is alive right now was once very small…" he brought his index finger and thumb together for emphasis.

There was a moment where all Cid was able to hear were the cries and laughter from the youngsters.

"What about the heartless?" Yuffie asked. "And robots?"

Cid slammed his hands on the table, spattering about. "Heartless are just that, heartless! They are not really alive, the same goes for robots!" Cid exclaimed, surprised by the questions.

Yuffie tapped a finger on her chin, thinking hard.

"But Cid," she said. "If heartless aren't alive, then how come they move and fight?"

Before anyone could answer Yuffie, she gasped and brought her hands to cover her mouth in shock.

"My goodness!" She cried. "They're zombies!"

Cloud shook his head in exasperation, Aerith giggled while Leon groaned. Tifa and Cid stared at the youngest member, not knowing what to say. After a long silence, Cid shook his head, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Well," he said. "Now I'm pretty sure things would have turned out differently."

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Leon stopped driving the small bulldozer to wipe the sweat off his brow. The day had turned out to be quite hot, and he detested hot temperatures. There was only so much he could take off in the stifling climate. He certainly wouldn't want to walk around naked; it would be too degrading as far as he was concerned.

Far off to his right, he saw Cid talking with Merlin and pointing to the ground, then widening his arms as he explained something to the old man, but Leon was too far away to hear them. Behind Cid and Merlin stood Yuffie, using Aero magic to move away light scraps of garbage and cement.

The benefits of magic, Leon thought. Yuffie was being lazy and taking the easy way out. Aerith stepped out from the castle with a few cold drinks, and Leon's spirits rose automatically. Something cold would be welcoming at the moment. He jumped out of the bulldozer and jogged toward the rest of the company as the two older men and Yuffie started on their drinks.

"Thank you Aerith," He said, taking a glass if his own and drowning it in a few gulps. He then reached for another one, but his hand was lightly slapped away.

"Those are for Tifa and Cloud," Aerith chastised.

He looked around him, but didn't see either of them in the area.

"Where are they?" he asked.

Merlin crossed his hands across his chest, and a very unfamiliar frown showed on his face.

"I don't know about Cloud, but Tifa is on the north section… taking care of her 'own businesses' as she had nicely put it… that dratted girl will listen to no one!" Merlin exclaimed. He was not easy to anger, but it was best not to push his buttons.

Leon fought the anger that wanted to quickly rise within him. Sighing annoyingly, he nodded toward them and began to walk toward the north section of the castle, where he was going to have a long one on one with Tifa.

Going around the castle, he was surprised to see Cloud sitting on a shaded corner, with his head resting against his knees. Leon walked up to the blond, and gently nudged him with his foot with a smug look on his face.

"This is not your break time Cloud," reprimanded Leon, a bit gently of course.

Cloud slowly looked over him, and met grey eyes. Leon's face fell as he took in the distressed look on Cloud's face and the misty eyes. The brunet quickly got down to his knees in front of the blond.

"Cloud, what's the matter?" he asked, trying to think of an answer on his own.

The blond shook his head as he forced a small smile. "Nothing is wrong Leon," Cloud whispered. "What are you doing here?" asked the confused blond.

They became aware of a cracking sound coming from around the bend, leaving the matter of Cloud aside for the time being; he got his mind back to the more pressing situation.

"Tifa is at the north wall," Leon whispered irritably

Cloud looked confused for a moment, before blinking away the haziness that had taken over his eyes. He made to stand, making Leon move aside. When they were both on their feet, they quickly made their way toward Tifa, who was watching a piece of the destroyed wall crumble to the ground from a save distance.

"Tifa!" Leon shouted, trying to control his anger, lest it took the best of him.

Tifa turned around and watched as Leon and Cloud made their way towards her, though the look of utter anger from the brunet made her take a step back. Once both man reached her, she smiled sweetly at them, but that didn't placate Leon, who seemed on the verge of hitting the woman, but it seemed that Tifa didn't care.

"What are you doing? You think this is a joke? I wouldn't have told you all to stay away from here if it was safe!" he exclaimed.

Tifa shrugged, throwing Leon a challenging stare. "I didn't touch anything Leon … it crumbled on its own," She said, her innocent smile not fooling anyone.

The brunet didn't believe her, and she knew it. He took a deep breath, pointing behind him, silently telling Tifa to get a move on to where the others were waiting.

As he watched her go without a fight, he held back the impulse of throwing a piece of rock at her while she still had her back to him… that would make him feel very good, he decided. Once she was out of sight, he indulged himself, taking a piece of stone and throwing it at no one in particular, in the direction she had gone.

"Can't she act her age? She's like the sister I never wanted to have," Leon said quietly, but loud enough that Cloud could hear.

Cloud chuckled softly, making Leon turn around to face him.

"I'm sure she thinks of you as the older brother she never wanted to have too," Cloud told him.

Leon seemed worried after that statement, and stepping closer to Cloud, if only to make sure that no one was listening, he lowered his voice to keep the conversation between the two of them private.

"Am I that bad?" Leon whispered.

Cloud pretended to think real hard, but tenderly placed his arm over Leon's shoulders as he nudged Leon forward, and both started walking.

"You're the older brother I always wanted to have Leon … is that good enough?" Cloud asked, staring up at Leon.

Leon gave a sweet smile in return, but almost stumbled as he felt Cloud lean his body against him suddenly. Reflectively, his arm wrapped itself around Cloud's waist. The brunet felt another arm snaked up his arm until the blond had both arms wrapped around Leon's shoulders, head resting against Leon's chest.

Feeling his heartbeat increasing, Leon didn't know what to make of it, until he realized that something was wrong when unexpectedly, Cloud cried out in pain. Leon had to wrap his other arm around the blonde's waist when his legs gave out from under him.

"Cloud?!" Leon exclaimed, gently lowering the blond to the ground. "Cloud, what's wrong?" the worry in his voice made Cloud loosen his hold he had on the brunet, as he moved away a little, shaking his head.

"So--sorry Leon...it's nothing," Cloud replied, but made it obvious that it was the opposite of that when he grimaced and grabbed the back of his head, crying out again.

Leon just held him, not knowing what to do. After a second's thought, he did the only thing that came to his mind.

"Aerith!" he shouted, hoping that it was loud enough for her to hear.

Oooooooooooo X oooooooooooO

TBC.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. They are solely Square Enix possessions and er… and Disney in regards to KH. Too bad they don't like to share huh? … But beggars can't be choosers; so therefore, we can be satisfied with just burrowing them, without intent of making any profit out of this of course.

This is **Shounen-Ai**, **Yaoi**… **Boy Love**… er… **Slash**… **M/M**…

If you don't like such thing, then here is where the Back button becomes useful. Go ahead, click away. And I couldn't find a Beta, but I try not to make too many mistakes, but if you see one hiding around, you could just let me know.

Thanks to all who reviewed the previous chapter of this story! Your thoughts and inputs were very welcome.

Oo X oO

Storm Clouds

Oo X oO

Aerith had never been more annoyed at Leon than she was at that moment. After having the brunet get in her way from trying to figure out what was causing Cloud such pains, she was forced to physically remove Leon from the bedroom. She would have let him remain if he hadn't pushed his luck by asking too many questions in regards to the blonde's wellbeing.

After carrying a protesting Cloud to his bedroom, Cid was the second one to get kicked out. He was to blame it on his hovering. For one who acted so gruff, his sensitive side reared its head when he wasn't trying to keep up his façade.

The fact of the matter was that both males were forced to wait down in the living room.

Leon couldn't remember a day when he had seen his friend so debilitated. The last time he had heard the younger man cry out in pain was when they were both still little kids, and Cloud had tripped while running away from an angry Leon, falling and breaking his wrist.

The memory made Leon smile, forgetting for a moment the worry he had for the blonde's health. Cloud had been practicing his aim, using his own shoes as weapons. Leon had rounded the corner at a bad time, since the shoe failed to hit the tree, instead hitting his head. Cloud's eyes had widened in shock, and almost seeing steam come out of Leon's ears, made a run for it, remembering how he had been at the receiving end of one of the brunet's angry moments before.

Leon remembered how his anger had quickly melted away once he had heard Cloud crying.

"What you smiling about?" Cid asked, interrupting his train of thought.

The brunet quickly wiped the smile off his face, and turned to an angry blond who was sitting across him in the recliner.

"I wasn't smiling," he said, running a hand through his hair. "You must be seeing things Cid."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too," Cid replied, but he let the matter drop, his own thoughts turning to one he consider one of his sons.

They both heard soft shuffling feet against the ceiling, and sighed at the same time.

"The kid never listens to reason," Cid began. "He should've listened to Aerith and stay still for a while."

Leon stared at the older man, automatically thinking back on the day.

"He seemed fine this morning," he said. "That bump on the head didn't seem too much of a big deal."

"It didn't? You sure made it seem like a big deal, smothering him like that," stated Cid, a chuckle escaping his lips.

The brunet felt a blush grace his cheeks, but quickly getting in the defensive.

"I did no such thing."

Cid snorted but didn't continue tempting the brunet, in which Leon was eternally grateful. But then an image came to Leon's head, and a recent one.

"Anyway, "he said. "I wasn't the one who decided that Cloud was in no position of walking all the way here, and then took it upon myself to baby him by carrying him."

The older man seemed close to jumping out of his seat and tackle Leon, but thought better of it.

"If I wouldn't have done it, you'd be next in line, so I have no idea what you're talkin' about Leon!" he shouted, knowing really well that if he hadn't stepped in to carry Cloud, Leon would have done so.

"Whoa, would you look at the steam!" Yuffie pointed out as she stood by the open doorway that connected the living room and the kitchen.

Both man turned to look at her, looking chastised. Yuffie bit on her lower lip to keep from breaking into a grin. Remembering that she had been upstairs while the men waited, they quickly stood and walked up to her.

"Is he alright now?" inquired Leon.

Yuffie nodded, sighing in relief herself. "Aerith didn't find anything wrong, and Merlin didn't either. They said it probably was because he didn't listen to her instructions on taking it easy for a few days."

"So nothing's broken?" asked Cid, whose relief was palpable.

"Nope," she replied. "Just Cloud being stubborn and not heeding the healer's orders."

Leon's worries were greatly eased, and he turned to head upstairs to give Cloud a well deserved lecture. But Yuffie stopped him as he took the first step, grinning evilly as if she knew something he did not.

"You can't bother him, he's asleep," she added smugly. "So I suggest you stay clear or deal with both Aerith and Merlin."

The brunet raised an eyebrow, questioning the young girl.

"And what best way to stay clear of them than both of you big guys treating me to lunch at the market… I'm famished."

At her words, both men felt their stomach grumble, realizing that they hadn't eaten since breakfast. For once, agreeing with the ninja, they walked out of the house looking forward to filling up their bellies.

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They decided to eat at 'Wedge's Diner' which was adjacent to the accessory shop in the market place. The place was known for its exquisite Chocobo eggs, but also for its not so good service. Yuffie hurried to take the table by the large window, always wanting to be in contact with the outside, while Leon and Cid followed at a slower pace.

Leon noticed a slight commotion coming from one of the corners of the diner. A group of unfamiliar men had a table of their own, but were arguing with one another, and by the looks of it, they were trying to do it as silently as possible. The six men wore dark clothing, and looked to be on their middle years, probably as old as Cid. Two of them wore thick glasses, and they were all bald headed.

The brunet didn't like to see too many strangers in his town, especially when no one had told him about the newcomers. From beside him, Cid grumbled, having seen the same sight as the younger man.

The thief gave out the menus once they sat, patting her stomach as it reminded her that it needed foodstuff to break down. Cid lighted his first cigarette since leaving the construction site, as one of the waiters walked up to their table.

"Are you guys ready to order?" the black haired young man asked, a red bandana keeping his hair out of his face.

"Can you let us settle down first? Cid asked. "We just got here."

Looking at the strangers from his seat, Leon turned to the waiter, giving him a hard look.

"Who are those men Biggs?"

"What men?" the waiter asked.

"They're sitting at the corner."

Biggs turned quickly before turning again to face Leon.

"They say they are travelers. A bunch of loonies if you ask me, they didn't say much but were asking for the mayor."

"Did they say where they came from?" asked Cid.

"Nope, but unfortunately I'm not your spy but your waiter, so if you all please just order so I can get the hell out of here," complained Biggs, who had slouched at the thought of staying longer at his job place.

"Damn, and I thought Jesse was moody," whispered Yuffie, who eyed the waiter with a sarcastic smirk.

Because the thought of grating on Biggs' nerves was enjoyable, Cid and Yuffie took their time and went through the entire menu selection before finally deciding what to order. By the time Biggs left with their orders, he was ready to decapitate the cook, just for the sake of releasing some tension.

The strangers had gone silent, drinking from their cups and seemingly deep in thought. But more so was Leon, who wanted to learn more of those men. Not many strangers visited their town, and the last time it had happened, it only brought trouble.

"Hey Leon, you look like you could use something sweet to melt down that sour look on your face," Yuffie unknowingly interrupted his train of thoughts. Leon turned his gaze to the young girl, who was giggling and pointing at him.

"Whatever."

"Where's our damn food?!" exclaimed Cid, who was looking toward Biggs, while the latter did his best not to turn around and give the older man the finger.

Leon didn't bother to mention that they had just placed their orders. The exclamation managed to get unwanted attention, for Leon noticed that the six men on the corner turned their eyes toward them. One of them caught Leon's gaze, and the brunet growled low in his throat when he received an intense glare.

The men shared last words and stood, walking out of the diner. The atmosphere quickly grew less tensed to all the costumers present, and that's where Leon noticed the lack of cheer and laughter that usually accompanied the place when he first walked in, when at once, the residents began talking and sharing tales of mirth.

The brunet watched the men cross the plaza through the window; they walked very close together and looked around the market as if they were searching for something. He turned away from the sight as Biggs brought them their drinks, ignoring the questions that Cid was throwing him in regards to his food. Leon took hold of his drink; a sudden image of Cloud smiling at him entered his thoughts, and unconsciously brought a smile to his own face.

As he raised the glass to his lips, his eyes once again turned their sight to the outside. To Leon's surprise and utter shock, there were eyes trained on him from across the plaza. The six strangers were staring at him from where they stood, and the hard stare made the brunet shift nervously, though holding their unnerving stares.

He felt an odd feeling building up from deep inside, an unfamiliar feeling until the sense of it made him drop the glass he was holding, and recoiled back, almost falling off his chair, fighting off a scream that wanted to snake itself from inside him.

Cid stood from his chair, reaching out his hands to stop Leon from toppling over while Yuffie fought with herself to make sense of what her reaction should be. When Leon was once again safe on his seat, the young lady decided that the best course of action was getting into a loud laughing fit. Leon ignored her and abruptly turned his head to look out to the streets for those men, but he saw them not.

"You alright kiddo?"

He nodded without thinking, because even though there were no signs of those men, he still felt the absolute terror that had taken over him seconds before.

"You got juice all over you Leon, you look like a wet chick," joked Yuffie, giggling still. Her giggles were cut off suddenly in shock, when Leon looked at her, and started to giggle fearfully, with no real mirth but that of nervousness.

Oooooooooooo X oooooooooooO

That feeling of horror diminished while the brunet sat in the company of Tifa and Cid, who with him were watching silly cartoons. In a world where danger and other dreads had existed for so long, the household unconsciously had taken up to watching amusing things to take them away from all the horrors and happening of their own town.

Leon tried very hard to concentrate on the cartoons, but unable to explain what had happened earlier in the diner was hard to not think of. When they had gotten back from the diner, bringing with them extra orders of food for the others, he had quickly made his way to his bedroom, to look in on Cloud.

While staring at his sleeping companion, the brunet had forgotten for the moment the horror he just lived through. It was short lived when he walked out of the room. He had felt eyes on him on his way down the steps, he had felt them as he sat down in front of the television, and he had felt them as he spend time with his friends.

His head would turn toward the window, having felt something out there, but every time it was in vain. He didn't see anything suspicious looking through the window, but when darkness was close to descent on them, the feeling grew weaker, until he forgot about it and was finally able to enjoy the show.

Oooooooooooo X oooooooooooO

Leon sat down on the floor, back leaning against the side of his bed. Night had fallen, and all he could do was keep staring at his sleeping companion. The blond was sleeping on his side, face toward Leon, oblivious to eyes of his friend on him.

There was just something about a sleeping Cloud that always made Leon protective of the blond, but that had tripled with the events of that day at the site. Though looking as the world's most innocent child while deep in slumber, his friend looked too vulnerable, and that was something that Leon didn't like to see, because once he saw it, he'd start wanting to protect the man from all danger. Not that it was a bad thing, for the fact that he wanted to keep safe all of his friends, but the feelings that came afterward in regards to Cloud were a bit too odd for the brunet, feelings that he didn't like to give too much thought about.

For now, he'll blame it on the brotherly love he felt for the blond, since he had three sisters, and so, the feelings were divided into the three girls, but he only had one brother, and so he figured that the feelings to be more stronger if it was only given to one.

He snapped out from his reverie as the figure he had his eyes upon shifted, getting on his back. The pained groan that followed had Leon sitting beside the blond in a flash. Though wanting to let Cloud get some rest, the brunet wanted for him to wake, if only to tell him how he felt.

Another small groan had Leon holding Cloud's hands in his, wanting to provide comfort however possible.

The brunet smiled at the contented sigh that escaped his friend, somehow knowing that the small gesture was being appreciated in the depth of his unconsciousness. Letting out a sigh of his own, he lowered his head to place a light kiss on Cloud's brow, hoping that it would be appreciated as well.

Minutes passed in silence, the rest of his companions having gone to bed. The thought of going to sleep was tempting, but he was too comfortable where he sat, though that feeling suddenly disappeared as he felt a familiar chill throughout his body, making the hairs on his arm stand on end. His gaze abruptly turned to the window, and as he gently let go of Cloud's hands, he quickly stood and started walking toward it until the strong feeling of terror grew within him and made him stop half way.

He felt his legs shake uncontrollably; he fought the feeling of fleeing, unable to take his eyes off the window. Behind him he became aware that Cloud had started tossing in his sleep, mumbling meaningless words.

He could hear a buzz in his ear, and suddenly his legs couldn't stand their own shaking and the brunet found himself on his knees, eyes still glued to the window, a fear so strong that it brought tears to his eyes.

Leon opened his mouth to scream, but no sound was uttered. He slowly raised his hands to cover his ears from the buzzing, but to no avail, the sound was still there. Leon heard terrifying screams, knew where they came from, but he was frozen in place and couldn't reach his friend.

Then there were footsteps, and the sound of the door bursting open. Loud voices filtered through his mind, shouting and questioning. Then someone was shaking him by the shoulders, but his eyes were locked on the darkness outside, and he couldn't turn away. He could still hear Cloud screaming, and then the buzz got louder, creating an odd blackness in the corners of his vision before everything died away, leaving him in a void darker than the darkness outside.

Oooooooooooo X oooooooooooO

He felt arms around him, holding him close, and heard a heart beating besides his own. A strange coldness was leaving his body as his eyes fluttered open.

The sudden light made Leon winced, and he was aware of hushed voices around him, and felt frustration at not being able to make them out. Everything cleared slowly, until he was staring at a pair of light blue eyes, and could smell the cologne that the man holding him refused to stop using, even after so many years.

"Leon, talk to me, say something!" Cid pleaded, worried evident in his eyes, and voice trembling.

"Ci… Cid," Leon stammered, weakly. There were a couple of sighs, and he tiredly looked around him to see Yuffie and Tifa next to them. Yuffie wiped teary eyes, and laughed out of relief.

"What happened?" he asked, feeling lost.

"You blacked out for a couple of seconds," explained Tifa. "But… I don't know…" He saw her tremble, fisting her hands and looking behind her.

"Ok, enough, let's get you off the floor kiddo," Cid advised, easily supporting the brunet as they made their way to his bed. Leon then saw Aerith, sitting beside a breathless Cloud, who seemed to be asleep. Her eyes were meeting his, and he could tell that she was scared.

Leon didn't miss the strange look that passed between Aerith and Cid, but his mind then turned to the panting blond, whose face looked paler than Leon could remember.

He had been beside the blond before, he recalled. How he got away from him was a mystery, but he was sure that his friend wasn't as he now was.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked Aerith. Before Aerith could respond, Cid interfered by patting the young man on the shoulder.

"Nothing, why don't you just relax," he said, but the brunet didn't seem convinced.

"What's wrong with him?" he demanded. "He wasn't like this before, what's wrong with him?" Then, as a sudden afterthought, he realized that his room was too crowded. "What are you all doing here?" he asked, his voice becoming harsher when he didn't receive any answers.

Aerith then smiled sweetly at him, and he felt himself relaxed seeing it. She cleared her throat, and running her hand across Cloud's brow for a last time, and she straightened up.

"He had a nightmare it seems, and the noise drew us here. He is fine now, he didn't wake."

Leon felt hands pushing him down on the bed, and he looked at Cid, who was giving him a strained smile.

"It's pretty darn late too, next time you both want to freak the hell out of us, just give us a warning eh?" Cid commented. "Now close your eyes and we'll talk some more in the light of day."

The thought sat well with Leon, for some unknown reason, he wanted the daylight. And if the daylight came faster if he did close his eyes, then better yet. There was a distant memory, of something in the darkness, but it was fleeting and unclear. When he lay comfortably on top of his bed, he noticed that he was more tired than he expected.

The brunet was asleep soon after, not aware when the others left to catch on some sleep.

Oooooooooooo X oooooooooooO

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. They are solely Square Enix possessions and er… and Disney in regards to KH. Too bad they don't like to share huh? … But beggars can't be choosers; so therefore, we can be satisfied with just burrowing them, without intent of making any profit out of this of course.

This is **Shounen-Ai**, **Yaoi**… **Boy Love**… er… **Slash**… **M/M**…

If you don't like such thing, then here is where the Back button becomes useful. Go ahead, click away. And I couldn't find a Beta, but I try not to make too many mistakes, but if you see one hiding around, you could just let me know.

It has been forever since I last updated, I've been soooo busy, but I'm back now, and I appreciate and love every single review that found their way into this story. I thank you all.

Oo X oO

Storm Clouds

Oo X oO

_A low soothing humming sound penetrated his sleep, and amid an empty blackness behind closed eyelids, it created an image, an image of blue waters expanding wide and far, the foams of the waves smoothly caressing the sandy beach, while seagulls roamed the cloudless skies. _

_There was peace there that was unfamiliar to him, but which awakened a deep desire. A desire to sit on the sandy shores and stare at the sea, in hopes to get it engraved in his memory before it all disappeared. He was aware that it would fade away at any given moment… for he knew it to be a dream._

_The waves calmed his spirit; their movements were mesmerizing and captivated his eyes to their own motions. In the background, the humming suddenly became too loud, disrupting his surroundings, making everything look distorted and unpleasant. _

_Slowly, everything faded away until there was naught but the darkness and the soft droning voice._

Leon opened his eyes to the barely lit room, the droning tune he had heard was meant to soothe heartache, he supposed, but the fact that he was still able to hear it while awake was quite disturbing. Sitting up quickly, he looked about his room, he saw his blond friend on the other side of the room, asleep. As the brunet realized that the noise was in fact, not coming from Cloud, he jumped out of the bed and grabbed the gunblade that was perched against his bed, quickly holding it up while trying to locate where the sound was coming from.

He was suddenly startled when he realized that the sound had stopped, and he held his breath for a few seconds to assure himself that it was in fact very silent in the room. When he began to think that it was all in his head along with the fear it had caused, he leaned his gunblade against the nearest wall as he quickly walked up to Cloud and shook him in hopes to wake him.

"Cloud?" he called when the blond only shifted in his sleep. Leon shook him harder and didn't stop until the blond opened his eyes and turned toward him.

Blinking away the haziness caused by sleep, Cloud noticed the look of alarm in the brunet's eyes and quickly sat up, unable to take his eyes off Leon.

"Leon, what's the matter?" he asked, and noticed the brunet compose himself before shaking his head.

"Nothing, just that you've been sleeping too much," he lied, not wanting to admit that he wanted someone awake to accompany him in the current hours of darkness. He might have been imagining the soft sound, but it still managed to shake him off badly.

Cloud covered a yawn, and looked toward the window, making a disapproving face when he noticed it was still dark outside.

"Don't think it's too early just because the sun hasn't risen yet, you're not that bad off that you need constant sleep," Leon said before Cloud had a chance to complain. "You really are becoming far too lazy Cloud."

A sneer was already on the blonde's lips as Leon grinned wickedly.

"Now wake up and smell the coffee," said Leon, who was already feeling the fear ebbing away, the slight push he received from the blond got him chuckling lightly.

"I don't smell any coffee, and that certainly tells me that is not even 4 o'clock yet."

"Stop being such a baby, you're acting like a woman, complaining about not getting enough of her beauty sleep."

Blue eyes narrowed dangerously before pouted lips ruined the dangerous moment. Leon shakily got to his feet, but quickly took a deep breath and let it out in a huff, while Cloud threw aside his sheets.

But the blond stopped his movements as he suddenly turned his head and stared hard at Leon's bed. The brunet had taken two steps before he noticed the heated gaze of Cloud directed at his side of the room. Frowning, Leon also looked in the same direction that Cloud had been staring at; the uneasy feeling he suddenly felt was enough to make him turn his gaze away, looking instead at his blond companion.

"Cloud, let's get out of here."

Cloud blinked a few times before standing up and following the brunet out of the door.

Oooooooooooo X oooooooooooO

Cid was waiting for him outside of the house after the oddly quiet breakfast. The silence that had accompanied them at the table was almost painful, and Leon didn't understand why everyone beside him and Cloud were acting so strangely. He would have demanded to know what was going on, but his mind was in other matters, in matters that concerned his own sanity in regards to the happenings of that early morning.

He almost bumped into the older man as soon as he walked outside. A cigarette hanging from his lips, and arms crossed in front of his chest, Cid looked at the brunet over, and seemingly coming to a decision, took him by the elbow and began leading Leon away from the house.

Not fighting the grip, and the fact that he was being led like a child, Leon followed calmly. Somewhere in the back of his mind was a fading memory, but one that made him shiver if he tried to think on it too much.

Cid stopped at the entrance of the Bailey, inhaling deep on his cigarette before throwing it away.

"Want to tell me what this is about, old man?" the brunet inquired, not knowing what needed to be said that Cid obviously didn't want the girls to hear.

"What can you tell me about last night, kiddo? It was downright creepy for once, and if you do that shit to me again, I'm afraid I will have to make you regret it. Now tell me what the hell happened back there."

Either Cid had woken from a dream and believed he was in it still, or Leon was dreaming and listening to the dream-Cid talking nonsense. Crossing his own arms in front of him to hide the pinch he had given himself to make sure who was the one dreaming, the brunet leaned against the hard wall, looking at the blond in confusion.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he told his friend. Mentally going back to the previous day, wondering what it was that Cid meant.

"Last night, in your room," Cid said, and he missed the widening of Leon's eyes as the brunet thought hard on things that he would do in the privacy of his own bedroom. Did Cid catch him having a weird embarrassing dream… or worse?

"I uh… I wasn't doing anything," he defended himself.

"What? You call kneeling in front of a window, unresponsive and looking like you were looking in the depth of hell, then passing out and having Cloud screaming like he was being butchered nothing?!" Cid screamed, quite frustrated by his younger companion.

Leon straightened out, looking at the blond intently, and feeling a sort of dread building in his stomach. A recollection of staring out of the window into the darkness outside was only fleeing, but it was suddenly veiled by the thought of the soft humming he had heard that morning.

"Cloud was being butchered?!" The words left without any logical thought, because he had seen the blond that morning, and the thought that someone could've gone through Leon's defenses and managed to get the blond was just impossible.

Receiving a hard look from Cid, and berating himself a second later, Leon lowered his head while he covered his eyes with one hand.

"Never mind…but Cid… those things you've said, I don't remember those things ever happening. Are you sure you are completely awake?" he asked, and the hard look on the blond man intensified.

"We were all there; we were alerted by Cloud's screams. We then rush in there and see him trashing about and you're just… kneeling there, as if you were terrified…"

A long silence followed, where both men were deep in thought. The hard look on Cid's face gave away to concern, while Leon tried, without avail to recall anything from the night before. After a while, Cid snorted, taking out another cigarette and lighting it.

"Maybe you were both having bad dreams, eh? I mean, people don't usually remember bad nightmares… night terrors," comforted Cid, because it was just easier to blame it on that. Leon smirked, believing in the older man. Night terrors were a common thing once upon a time, when they were all younger, when the world had played them a bad game and they were too young to make sense of it all.

Breathing sighs of relief, both man followed the path of the Bailey, toward a castle that needed to be finished.

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Having placed aside Cid's words in order to concentrate on his job, Leon wondered why the small town was too quiet so early in the afternoon. Usually the place was crowded with children playing some game or other and neighbors would be sharing good conversations with one another. It was tea time, and the lack of people walking toward their houses for the mid break was unfamiliar.

He would have to make his way home if he knew what was good for him. Nobody was allowed to forego Cid's tea time, and it wasn't a good idea to make him angry over such seemingly trivial matter.

Ready to act out his thoughts, Leon smiled slightly as he noticed the old wizard Merlin walking toward him; obviously in good humor for the soft smile he was sporting. Leon nodded in greeting as the white bearded man stood in front of him.

"Good afternoon Merlin, on your way to join us for tea?"

Merlin's smile disappeared and he began shuffling his feet, something Leon never remembered seeing.

"Oh dear, this old memory of mine is becoming a problem. I forgot all about the tea, I guess thinking too much would put simple things as tea in the back of your head and make it stay there," Merlin explained, looking a bit troubled and guilty. "I was actually on my way to see Mr. McDuck, he left me a note saying he needed to speak to me urgently, and if I am correct, he must've perfected the sea-salt ice cream, and is just letting this old man be the first one to have a taste of it."

The image of Yuffie pulling Merlin's hat as she tried to stop the mage from entering the ice cream shop came out of nowhere, and Leon had to pretend to clear his throat in order not to smile too widely, or Merlin would suspect he wasn't thinking nice thoughts.

"Then let me not stop you Merlin, I know how important ice cream can be to certain people," Leon cleared his throat again, but decided not to do it again when Merlin began giving him concerned looks. "Merlin, do you have any idea why the place is so quiet today? I have been making rounds, but I don't see anything suspicious that would make the citizens stay indoors and so quiet."

Merlin's eyes lit up and his smile came back to his face. "Today they are broadcasting the first film of Loveless, and I'm sure our neighbors wouldn't like to miss that. Funny how people could be so willing to miss a great day just for a boring film… Now when I was a little boy…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt Merlin, I have to get going. I'll see you later."

Merlin pouted very un-mage-like and began to walk in the other direction from the one Leon had just taken. From experience, the brunet knew how unfortunate it was to be at the receiving end of Merlin when he got talking about one of his childhood tales. Besides being dreadfully long, he would claim it to be horrible and cruel.

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He spotted Aerith watering the daisies on the side of the house, who smiled as she looked up and noticed Leon walking toward her.

"Busy day?" he asked, knowing that while he was out patrolling the streets, the others would be busy doing things around the place.

"Not really, Yuffie and Tifa just got back from the castle and they are preparing tea, and Cid and Cloud should be on their way. Before that we were just clearing up some debris after you left us."

Leon nodded to himself as he thought about the words, but quickly made his way inside the house as he heard a shriek, at the same time unsheathing his sword, Aerith following behind.

When they entered the house; they were startled as something white and big jumped in front of them, Leon almost took a swing at it but realized that it was Yuffie as she backed away shaking herself and murmuring curses. Tifa walked up beside them chuckling and looking very mischievous, Aerith looked at the floor covered in white flour footprints, and then turned her gaze toward a flour covered teenage girl.

"What is going on here?" Leon asked, relieved that everything was alright, somewhat, but angry that he had been alarmed.

Yuffie was almost in tears, but she bit her lip and pointed at Tifa. "She dumped the flour bag over me for no reason!"

Tifa gasped, throwing a too innocent look toward Leon and Aerith. "I didn't do anything; she bumped into it on her own."

"I am not that clumsy!" cried Yuffie, hating the way the flour was getting into her eyes and mouth. "You are too old to be acting like a little girl Tifa."

"Yuffie…" Aerith tried to interrupt, but Yuffie pointed again at Tifa.

"Now the tea is ruined!"

It was comical how a few words could freeze a group of people.

"What happened to my tea?"

It was worse when those words would reach the ears of a tea lover walking in that specific moment into the house. The four of them turned slowly toward the door, only to see a confused Cid, and a surprised Cloud who was looking intently at Yuffie.

"And what the hell happened to you?" Cid motioned over to Yuffie.

Tifa quickly intervened, getting in front of Cid and smiling sweetly. "There was an accident in the kitchen, and unfortunately, some flour managed to get into the tea while we weren't looking. Yuffie was just there at the wrong moment and time… you know her…"

"Well, somebody better clean this mess, and get me some damn tea! I didn't come all the way here to listen to crap, and there's no way I'm going back out there without some tea in my system… now if you all have been standing here doing nothing while the house was falling apart," The youngsters looked at each other, knowing they couldn't interrupt Cid until he was done. "That means that you weren't planning to do something about it."

When there was nothing else forthcoming, Leon opened his mouth to try to explain the reason why they didn't have time to do anything about it since it just happened. But before anything was out of his mouth, Cid began to talk again.

"Tifa, sweep the floor!" he shouted, not appreciating young people standing still while there was so much to do. "Yuffie, go bathe, Aerith you will mop and Cloud, make me some tea!"

Cloud gaped and looked at Cid. "I wasn't even here… why would I have to pay for something they did?"

Cid turned to Cloud and sneered. "Are you going against my orders?"

"But Cid… I wasn't even here…"

"You weren't, but you managed to piss me off by almost running me over with that damn bulldozer, now get to work you slug!"

"But you didn't assign Leon anything!"

"Cloud?" Cid looked almost lethal. "If you complain about it one more time, you wouldn't only do my tea, but I will give Tifa and Aerith a break, and you will take care of their tasks… is that clear?"

Cloud sighed annoyingly.

"How old are you again? Only little kids would complain about chores… seriously."

And with that, Cid walked up the stairs, having no doubt that his orders will be followed. The five others stood looking after him, Cloud looking miserable. Leon smirked looking around at everyone.

"You heard Cid, you all have work to do," he began to turn toward the living room, but suddenly he was assaulted a few times by white powder. He turned to see where the attack was coming from, only to see Aerith, Tifa and Cloud with hands dirtied with flour and malicious smiles forming in their faces.

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Leon did his best not to smirk too much while they all sat on the dining table, drinking tea while sharing the day's events. Yuffie seemed to have forgotten about the earlier incident, while Tifa and Aerith seemed to remember it quite clearly, but not wanting to laugh too loud. Cloud was not very happy, since the frown was still plastered on his fair face after brewing the tea.

Cid had begun to lecture them again about home cleanliness and tea responsibilities, though the youngster weren't really bothered by it, they had heard it dozens of times already.

The brunet was glad that the atmosphere was not the same as that one in the morning time, when they were having a quiet breakfast that had seemed to drag on forever.

"Anyway, I won't have a place tonight at the table, I will be going out for dinner with Shera, so no need to wait for me," the older man said, a little blush staining his cheeks when Leon decided to wolf-whistle and the girls began to giggle.

"What? Can't I have some fun now and then? Maybe you all should take your elder's example and enjoy life instead of having to work all day then stay indoors all night. It's not healthy."

Cloud eyed Cid suspiciously before asking the question that had everyone staring at Cid for an answer.

"Are you planning to marry her, Cid?"

Cid lower his tea cup, while gazing at Cloud and looking into the eyes that clearly told him what the young blond thought of the idea.

Leon noticed that the question held a bit of accusation, as if Cloud would not be happy if that was the case. The brunet thought better of it, and realized that he wasn't looking forward to having the woman being part of their lives. He hated to sound selfish, but it was always the seven of them, if he included Merlin, and their lives have been good so far.

Aerith cleared her throat, while wiping her lips with a napkin.

"Cloud, I hardly think that it's any of our business what Cid plans to do with his personal life," she rebuffed him softly.

"Aren't we part of his personal life? I'm only curious as to what he wants to do… it's just a question Aerith."

Yuffie looked in between her elders, sensing the tenseness in the air. Tifa smiled warmly at Cid, but the blond man wasn't comforted. He felt uncomfortable, as if someone was aiming some headlights over him, just waiting for his answer.

"Listen here kids, and listen to me good," he started, everyone's eyes were on him now, and though the girls seemed to be happy at the idea of him marrying, he knew otherwise. "Matters not what happens in the future, you are my family. And that's what should really matter; I'm not leaving any of you, just as I know you won't be leaving this old man. Now, Cloud, I hope you understand that, and believe me," though his gaze was on Cloud, he said this for all of them.

The sincerity and emotions that Cloud saw in Cid's eyes were enough to bring a smile to his face, and he nodded in acknowledgment.

"I believe you Cid."

"Good, now bring me some more tea!"

With those words, the tension was broken, and Leon felt gentle warmth spread through him, and he couldn't help but chuckle, silently thankful and relieved by Cid's answer. Before Cloud made a grab for the empty ceramic tea pot, a loud cracking sound made its way into the air, before the red pot exploded into pieces, with such force that sent ceramic all around in the air.

Leon felt the tiny stabbing pieces hitting his face, and with a cry of alarm, tried his best to shield his face with his hands, while everyone around him did the same.

After the shattering moment, everyone froze, not understanding what had happened. Leon noticed everyone staring at the center of the table, and he also noticed that all of them had tiny cuts on their faces that bled a little, he had no doubt that he looked the same.

Yuffie brought her hand to her face, before Aerith stopped her with a shout.

"Don't! None of you touch anything; pieces of the tea pot could still be implanted there, just… just…"

Cid looked furious, he stood up while slamming his hands on the table, hissing a second later when he managed to get more small pieces of the pot on his palms.

"Who did it? Who cast the spell?!" he shouted, as he looked from one to another, noticing the shock expressions in each face, suddenly concerned when he saw them all on the verge of fear.

Leon held his hand when he began feeling the tremors, because even though he wasn't sure what caused the pot to blow, he had felt a presence along with them for a moment, and it wasn't pleasant. Tifa then had rushed toward Yuffie to check her for some more damage, and Aerith joined her a second later.

The brunet turned his gaze away and landed on Cloud, who was silent and pale. Leon turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder, to see Cid looking at him and gazing at Cloud with worry.

"You alright kid?" he asked.

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To be continued

A big thanks to all of you who have placed me in Alerts and Favs!

And a HUGE thanks to **Godessofyaoi, FangedWriter, Crazy Chick 963, Sorceress Fantasia, Kita Ito, Kikaru Light, ToBeContinued and Vincents1lover!**


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